


Hard to be Homesick

by Montygreenthumb



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: B), Road Trips, it's a thominewt road trip AU, road trip au, yup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:43:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4203213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Montygreenthumb/pseuds/Montygreenthumb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only day one of their great road trip, but he knew he wouldn't be eager to go back any time soon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hard to be Homesick

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, sooo. I have a thing for AU fics, clearly. This is gonna be multi-chapter, and hopefully pretty big! Also, sidenote: this was edited at 4:30am, so if you see any mistakes, I am very sorry. 
> 
> If you like it, leave a comment! It helps to encourage productivity. B) 
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on my tumblr: http://montygreenthumb.tumblr.com/
> 
> Oh! And also, they DO have one of those snazzy road trip vans. The kind you see on tumblr with people sleepng in the back of them.

It was amazing the sheer number of times one boy could complain about an open sunroof.

One might think the maximum would be three, maybe four times in the course of their total time spent in the car, if that. And yet, Newt had managed to hit a astounding high score of eight.

They had only been driving for an hour.

It was the sweet beginning of a warm summer morning, the kind that made you feel alive and adventurous, with the sun above them slicing through white clouds and too-blue sky to blanket their car, warming it to a comfortable temperature for the average person to be content and relaxed. Not too hot, not too cold.

Newt on the other hand, didn't fit between the gaps that these so called average people may, - and so was, as he put it, 'bloody freezing.'

And then there was Minho, who was too hot and vaguely claustrophobic. This of course, -much to Newts dismay, - gave him sunroof rights. Go figure.

Thomas on the side of it all didn't care even slightly about the hot nor the cold, and just wanted the pair to shut up with the bickering so he could drive in peace without crashing and killing them all in a collision.

That would shut them up for sure.

"You guys, would you stop it? This is supposed to be _fun._ " He huffed, taking his eyes off of the road for a quick glance over at Minho who was riding shotgun. Another thing that had pissed off Newt. The guy couldn't help his fear of confined spaces, no matter how much they argued about it. There was a permanent smirk etched into his features as he stared out the front window, dark eyes darting to watch the scenery as they sped by.

Just because he needed the front seat didn't mean he had to be so openly triumphant about it.

Thomas focused back on the straight road in front of them, taking a left turn before he could spare a glance into the front mirror. He could see Newt in the back seat; arms crossed over his chest and a childish glare on his face.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he brought his full attention back to driving.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Thomas, we're having _fun_. Right, Newt?" Minho was a beacon of feigned excitement.

"Oh, yeah, havin' the absolute time of my life back here. So much to look at. Perfectly warm too, ain't it?" He added the last part while he used his one good leg to kick the back of Minho's seat in a not-so subtle manner.

The action seemed to push said boy even further into his stubborn ways as he turned to watch their drivers profile. "It really is. Maybe even too much so, wouldn't ya think? Hey, what do you say we open a couple'o these windows, Thomas?"

"Sure. Then I can throw you both out of them. Get some quiet." His mood was in an ongoing game of tug-o-war between the happy sunshine and his ‘supposedly’ two best friend's bickering.

"Oh man, Thomas just made a joke. This really will be a once in a lifetime experience after all." That was Minho again, laughing ever so lightly. A sound that helped to shift Thomas' mood towards the sunny side of things again.

"An' here I was hoping he was bein' serious. Anything to get out of this back-seat. Where'd you say you got this van again? Smells like McDonalds barfed back here."

"My uncle. Said it needed a bit of a clean-up before use but..." He shrugged, one hand coming away from the wheel to sheepishly touch the back of his neck.

"But you were too much of a lazyass dickhead to bother n' all. "

Minho hit the spot right first try.

"...Right." He wasted no time in changing the subject. "There's a gas station on the left here. We’re going to stop by and get some fuel and snacks."

“Sounds good, - I’d kill for some breakfast. Need to find somethin’ to fill our little tummies before we end up lost and starved in the middle of some field.”

“That’s not gonna happen. You’re our navigator _for a reason._ ”

"And that, Tommy, is exactly why we're screwed." Newt quipped, still clearly stumped about the seating arrangements.

Minho didn’t respond for once, opting instead to kick back in his seat and return to his prior action of staring out of the window, the fields of corn blurring past as they drove to paint a picture that could be beautiful to those who hadn’t seen it all their lives.

The vehicle fell into a comfortable silence, filled only by the soft breathing of the three boys and the occasional tap of fingers against a dashboard as they drove away from their hometown. Thomas found it hard to believe that they were finally going through with their summer plans, - the whole thing felt like he was fantasizing it up in his head. It didn't feel _real,_ but he enjoyed it. A road trip with no destination. Just a month to do and go wherever they pleased. It sounded like a complete recipe for disaster, but since they'd saved some money and borrowed the van - there was no backing out now.

Thomas kind of liked the set-up, anyway. A destination meant a definite end. He didn't want an end to their trip.

Not yet.

\-------------

They reached the gas station with little to no harm to either themselves or the van, pulling up into a vacant space next to one of the pumps.

Thomas turned off the car, making sure to grab the keys before exiting the van. The last thing they needed was to get their ride stolen an hour away from home. Not to mention the wrath of his uncle.

Leaving Minho with the job of filling the tank, he left for the small station store to get the snacks, Newt following close by his side.

There was a shrill ring of a rusted bell above the door as they pushed it open, to which Newt glanced at with disgust. The place wasn't the most appealing to the eyes, - with a crack in the glass window where someone had obviously tried to break in at some point, and they'd covered it with thick, brown tape, as if that fixed it, and then there was the clumps of dust in the corners, - but if it sold chocolate, he wouldn't care if they had water pouring through the ceiling. Wouldn't be long until they did, anyhow.

"Hey, Tommy, c'mere. Check this."

Tearing his gaze away from the cracked floor tiles, Thomas turned to see his friend had discovered a stand full of tourist leaflets and advertisements. That was surprising. They'd barely even breached what you would call 'tourist territory,' but he joined him anyway.

"Look at this. You're tellin' me we've spent our entire lives livin' roughly an hour away from 'The World's Biggest Ball of Yarn' and we ain't been?"

The sentence was so out of the blue that he couldn't stop the laughter that poured from his mouth as he peered over his shoulder to get a good look at the leaflet. And just as expected, there it was in thick black writing: 'Visit The World's Biggest Yarn Ball today! A must see for all ages.' as if it was the most exciting place you could go on the planet. The mere thought of visiting such a clique road trip location was a funny one, but he had a feeling they would end up there without a doubt. "Wonder if they get many visitors?"

"Probably not. Let's go make their day, shall we?" Newt had an amused grin on his face as he slapped Thomas on the back.

"Wouldn't be fair if we didn't." His laughter had faded down into a cheerful smirk, his eyes bright.

They'd been so focused on the pamphlet that they clearly hadn't noticed Minho enter the store, as he was now over by the cashier, paying for the gas and flirting very shamelessly with the cute girl working the register. Thomas could tell by her stance and general body language that she wasn't interested. He obviously picked up on that too, backing off and finishing his purchase before walking over to them, - not looking the least bit crestfallen at having been rejected as he joined Thomas in his act of peering at the flyer.

"World's biggest _what?_ "

"Ball of yarn."

"Dude. Oh, man, I'm sold." Was all he had to say before he left to find some snacks.

"Well that's buggin' settled then, isn't it." Newt said, sharing one last amused look with Thomas as he pocketed the flyer before following Minho over to the open-front fridge that held boxed sandwiches and cold drinks.

Now left alone, Thomas was unsure of what to buy. He picked up a packet of salted crisps and then joined his friends, hoping to get back on the road soon.

"Thomas. Heads up, - here ya go."

He didn't get much warning time before Minho chucked something his way. Luckily, his reflexes kicked in last minute and he caught the small object roughly in his hands. Upon further examination the 'object' proved to be a Ham & Cheese sandwich, boxed in ugly green cardboard. His favourite kind. 

"Last one too, had to fight that old lady over there for it. You better be thankful."

He furrowed his thick brows. He could only hope that Minho was exaggerating and did /not/ physically fight an 80 year old for the sake of his hunger. One quick glance at her as she scowled over by the checkout proved her to have no bruises or open wounds. A good sign in general.

"My knight in shining armour. Thanks." A grateful smile soon spread across his cheeks. "You guys ready to head out?"

Both boys nodded in response, each clutching sandwiches and various other edible items. They went over to the checkout, paying for their purchases and meeting back at the vehicle.

Slipping the key in and turning it, Thomas brought the car back to life once more.

And then they were off.

\-------------

"Well, that's just _bloody inspiring._ "

Thomas could only nod his head in response as he gazed up at the sphere of wonder, using one hand to shield from the scorching sun rays, the other poised on his hip.

Newt was on his left side, sporting a similar posture to admire the yarn ball.

It truly was quite a sight.

The attraction stood in front of them was roughly the size of a large greenhouse, sitting on what seemed to be a podium of some kind. He had to admit, it didn't look very stable. The only thing holding it in place were a couple of ropes tied to it's side and then nailed into the ground, it would only take a strong gust of wind to have the yarn rolling free. That itself could be the reason why they were the only people within a mile of the thing.

Maybe it would be a good idea to leave soon.

The sound of a camera going off filled the silence, drawing Thomas' attention to Minho, who was standing on Newt's other side. The boy was facing away from the yarn ball, holding up his phone in the air as he posed to take a selfie with it.

"C'mere, get in the picture. For memories n' all that sappy stuff." He gestured for them to join him as he angled the phone to make room for the three of them and, miraculously, somewhat a view of the yarn.

They both complied, Thomas ending up in the middle with one of Minho's arms slung across his shoulders and Newt pushed up against his other side. It was a little squashed up, but none of the three really minded. In fact, they welcomed it. The simple act of touch and closeness was something they'd all always had together. It was generally what happened when friendships started young.

"Say cheese!"

"We're not gonna do that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's _lame._ "

"Would you take the picture already?"

"Geez, fine."

He pushed his thumb down on the circle button, the screen flashing as it took the picture. They all looked a little worn down and messy haired, and the sun was shining in their eyes, but it wasn't that bad a picture. It would be nice to look back on in a couple of years time, anyway. Minho, of course , ended up looking nearly perfect despite the odds being against him. Thomas swore that guy had never looked bad a day in his life.

They took a few extra for good measure before getting bored, the phone being pocketed once more.

"A'right. Say goodbye to the World's Largest Ball of Yarn, kiddies. Ready to roll out, squad?" Minho asked, clapping his hands together for no good reason at all. Adding effect would be his excuse. And then there was the 'squad' thing.

"Ready as we'll ever be, I 'spose." Newt shrugged, leading the way down the path that lead to their car. Thomas noted that the blonde was favouring his good leg more than he usually would. That was strange, - it wasn't like they'd been walking much, having only stopped off at the gas station earlier and visited their current location, - so what was the deal? He shared a look with Minho, the worried expression evident on his face proved that he'd noticed Newt's limp too.

"You slowpokes just gonna hang back there all day starin' into each others eyes or are ya gonna actually move it to the car?" Newt had paused up ahead, spinning on his heels to face them. Neither of them missed the wince as he did so.

Thomas' gaze met Minho's once more. He gave him a small nod and his eyes glinted like he'd figured something out that he hadn't yet. They fell in step beside each other, trailing after Newt who hadn't bothered to wait for them. Not like he was moving too fast, anyway.

"It's the car. Being cooped up in that back-seat ain't doin' his leg any good at all." His entire being radiated anger, but it wasn't directed at anyone except for himself. He was disappointed that he hadn't noticed the damage sooner. "No wonder he's been so cranky this morning."

Thomas could relate. Newt was their friend - and as stubbornly quiet about his pain as he was, they were supposed to take notice of these things. How was he going to survive a month in that van? They would have to take a whole lot of pit stops, give him time to get up and stretch his leg a bit.

That was okay.

"I'll take the back-seat this time. I've been driving all morning anyway. He'll just think we're swapping because of that." Thomas replied, his shoulders rising and falling in a light shrug. For some reason he felt like they should be nonchalant about the whole ordeal. Newt wouldn't mind that they were looking out for him, but he wouldn't be too happy if they made a big fuss about it. He wasn't a baby, and he would make that point clear if they were too overbearing. His limp was, and had always been, a sensitive subject. That was to be respected.

"Sounds good. I'll drive. Have a good time with the McDonald's wrappers, dude." Minho smirked, his anger having melted away already,, giving him a gentle shoulder squeeze and then breaking out into a swift jog to catch up with Newt. Presumably to tell him about the seating arrangements.

\-------------

The next five hours were filled with bickering, hunting for snacks that they'd yet to finish, and blasting cheesy pop music at too loud volumes ( courtesy of Minho. Although that didn't stop neither Newt nor Thomas from getting into it after the first two played through. )

It was all in all a good time. One of the best times of his life, actually. The back-seat wasn't as bad as it had been made out to be, - despite the dirt and old food, - and Newt had certainly perked up now that he had some extra leg space. It was only day one of their great road trip, but he knew he wouldn't be eager to go back any time soon.

In a way he didn't think he would ever be truly 'homesick,' no matter where he went. It was hard when the place his heart felt most at 'home' was with the two people who went everywhere with him. Minho would have outright laughed if he'd said that outside of his thoughts, but he knew his two companions both felt the same sense of security and easiness when they were together.

He couldn't have asked for anything better than that.

\-------------

The sky had just started turning into a milky mix of grey and orange when he felt his eyelids start to droop. It wasn't even that late, but in his defence he'd been up well into the early morning hours last night packing some last minute necessaries. Thomas tried to fight it, he really did, - sitting up straighter and engaging in the calm conversation, - but it wasn't long before he lost his weak battle, the gentle lull of the car and the soft voices of his friends sending him off into a sweet, dreamless sleep.

\-------------

Disorientated. He was absolutely, truly, disorientated. Stifling a yawn, Thomas pulled himself into a sitting position. Everything in his surroundings was different from how it had been when he'd fallen asleep. For one, the car was no longer in motion, the small vibration feeling was something to be missed. He also found that he was strangely warm, but the air in the car itself was hauntingly cold. Someone had draped a blanket over his sleeping form at some point, encasing him in enough body heat to keep him toasty. Though, the thing that really stood out to him was the complete, dead silence. Minho and Newt were nowhere to be seen.

Alarm shot through his body like lightning as he fumbled to get the blanket off, blinking sleep from his eyes. He had no reason to worry, - it wasn't like they would take off anywhere without him, - but he still felt it grasping at his heart.

Sliding open the side door to the van, Thomas was hit with a sudden chill that seemed to seep through the thin fabric of his clothes and reach his bones. He instantly missed the comfort of his blanket. The night sky was dark, - it must have been midnight or later.

"Sleeping Beauty, awake at last. Here I was thinkin' one of us would have to come in there and kiss you."

He had never been so relieved to hear Minho's voice.

"Would have woken you Tommy, but you just look _so cute_ while sleepin' that it would have been a crime not worth committing."

Rolling his eyes, he ignored their teasing; but welcomed the swell in his chest that came from their words.

The pair were sitting on plastic camping-style chairs in what seemed to be a pull-out off of the side of the road. They also sported blankets of their own, wrapped tightly around their figures to keep the chill out.

"Why're you out here? It's cold." His voice was raw and tired.

"Genius you are Tommy. We were sick of your snoring. 'Sides, isn't this what road trips are all about? Sittin' around in chairs and being bitten by bugs." There was Newt again with his amazing sense of humour.

Thomas hummed in reply, dropping down onto the hard pavement in front of them. Now that the initial shock was gone, he was sleepy again and not in the right mood for conversation.

"Aww, he's tired still. Almost like he was the one driving for seven hours." Minho spoke with an accusation in his tone, but he shook his head slowly and smiled. "Sorry dude, sleeping in the back of the van tonight. We're slightly lost. No thanks to Newt over here."

"I told you to turn left. Not my buggin' fault you thought I said ' _turn right_ '. Nearest motel is miles away. Good job we got ourselves a real road trip van really, ain't it."

Once again, Thomas could only make a noise in agreement. They were lucky his uncle had been willing to let them use it. He'd said that it held a lot of good memories for him. Getting it back in one piece was crucial.

"Let's go then. I'm tired and my neck hurts from sleeping upright." He spoke as he rubbed said pain spot, standing back up.

Minho and Newt both chimed in a " _Your fault,_ " packing up their chairs and dumping them on the middle seat before joining Thomas over by the back of the van.

He swung both doors open, revealing the wide open space in the back of the vehicle. The backspace was entirely to fault for the middle seats having such a small amount of room. It was filled with pillows, blankets, and one big, puffy duvet. Laying would be roomy, but it looked so heavenly to him in that moment of pure exhaustion that didn't hesitate to take off his shoes and climb in.

They ended up sleeping in a tangled mess of limbs.

For _warmth,_ of course.


End file.
